One day in the halls of Resurgam...

Dr. Tomoe Tachibana was fulfilling her priority of handing out the monthly schedules to the doctors spread across Resurgam First Care. She finds it honorable- the only problem was that whenever she approached the diagnosis wing of the hospital, she would be forced to no longer use her quick-step techniques- to avoid inconveniencing Dr. Gabriel Cunningham.

But instead of having her meet him, the diagnostician came to her.

Gabriel was smoking and had a cup of coffee in his hands when he slowly approached the endoscopic surgeon. "Hey, Tomoe..."

"Dr. Cunningham-!" Dr. Tachibana gave a small bow and went through the pile for this doctor's sheets. "Good morning..."

The green-haired man took the schedule from Tomoe's hands, not bothering to even look at it. He continued his small conversation. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Of course...What is it?"

Gabriel stopped moving around his cigarette in his mouth. "About Joshua..." He turned his head away. "...Let me get this straight...I know teaching this kid self-defense is good and all..." He then glanced back. "But him swinging around...that..." Gabriel paused for a moment on how to proceed. "Thing...is wrong...and disturbing. Especially for...Lisa."

Tomoe lowered her head. "I'm sorry that both of you are dissatisfied with Joshua's training...The truth is that he has much more to learn..."

"No-" The diagnostician realized that he worded everything incorrectly. "I'm not saying-"

She gave Gabriel a serious look of determination."I understand your point; you would like him to be much more professional?" Dr. Tachibana did not wait for a reply. "I shall do my best. You have my word. It is honorable that a warrior is trained more appropriately."

"Hey- hold on there-" This was getting way out of hand.

"Please be patient with Joshua, I promise I shall teach him the proper etiquette to wielding the naginata..."

"Nagi...Wha-?" Dr. Cunningham's cigarette almost fell out of his mouth as his jaw kinda dropped. "Tomoe- you're getting me wrong! There's no reason to-"

"Oh..." The woman made a small frown. "I forgot to tell you about purpose..." She made an innocent smile and declared, "Joshua has informed me that he wished to keep everyone from harm..." Her face turned into worry. "He spoke of 'angry women' and an 'bothersome computer' troubling you...Is this true?"

If these 'angry women' were the hot-blooded Maria and nagging Esha, and that 'bothersome computer' is the 'bedside-mannered' RONI, then... "Well...yeah, but-"

"Then you have no need to be concerned. I myself wish to assist you...but young Joshua insisted that he shall 'do it on his own'..."

Looks like that stubborn trait was inherited as well... "You know..." Gabriel sighed; he would be glad to have Joshua as decoy...but isn't forcing a kid to fight using a hazardous, ancient weapon a little...far? It's also breaking the rules of the hospital and pretty much another example of abuse. Don't forget the laws of chivalry and child safety- even Tomoe's 'path of honor' should be opposing it.

It was radical and extreme. And everything else negative.

But.

It was free protection... And Gabriel was a man troubled by many in the hospital. If Joshua was there and flaunted his... nagi-thing at them...it might work. "...Do whatever you want..." Gabriel took out the cigarette with the hand holding the papers; he turned around and finished his coffee.

Tomoe's face lit up at the somewhat positive response. "I'm delighted to see that you have given us support..." She spoke before Dr. Cunningham could take a step. "Shall I teach Joshua the basics of warfare and strategy as well?"

The laid-back doctor tried not to spit out his coffee at how ridiculous this sounded. He swallowed the drink and spun back around. "Warfare-?" Strategies and tactics were an okay subject- but what does military stuff got to do with a eleven year-old?

Tomoe frowned to see that Gabriel does not know. "...Joshua has told me he had faced many unsuccessful battles..."

"With what?" The diagnostician cocked an eyebrow. "School?" Homework can become quite an ugly struggle- depending on the grades. But the kid's report card shouldn't be that much of a disgrace to read. After all, the boy's got a big brain like himself, the 'Master of Deduction.' Gabriel chuckled; he's predicting that Tomoe misunderstood them both.

"No..." Dr. Tachibana's depressing look lingered. "He spoke of a 'Call of Duty'.. Surely you have realized that young Joshua has discovered his life's destiny?"

The face on Gabriel was blank. Huh?

…Hold on a sec. "I gotta call Lisa..."

"Yes...Do tell her that Joshua has found his path of honor." Tomoe smiled and began walking away.

"Tomoe?"

"Yes, Dr. Cunningham?"

"It's...a video game." Gabriel actually felt bad sticking the truth at her, she doesn't know much about electronics. "A war simulation..."

"?" Tomoe blinked a few times.

"Tomoe, listen carefully..." The diagnostician prepared a speech; he took a deep breath, then stated, "Joshua doesn't need a stick to whack people with." His voice became small for the next few words. "Especially one with a blade..." Gabriel continued to reason in his normal volume. "And- it won't be necessary for him to...uh...to learn how to start a rebellion at school- or anywhere else for the matter." The cigarette was put back into his mouth. "So...can you...not teach him this?"

"!" The endoscopic surgeon never realized that he was against it. "I...didn't know..." She doesn't recall seeing Dr. Cunningham give this long of an explanation outside the operation room. But before she could apologize, Hanzou appeared next to her.

"Milady-" The aged butler sounded tired, which was unusual for a high-class warrior as him.

"Ah-!" Gabriel jumped.

"Yes, Hanzou..?" Tomoe spoke as Gabriel made a step away from the scene.

Since Gabriel made steps backwards, he obviously couldn't see what was behind him.

"Surprise!" Joshua leaped from the behind the wall corner, landing behind the diagnostician.

"God-!" Dr. Cunningham flinched from moving. Joshua was definitely behind him with that stick-thing. If he fell on the kid, he would get sliced up. "Joshua-" Gabriel looked back to see Joshua standing there...with a aluminum-bladed weapon. "Don't scare...the heck out out of people like that..." Gabriel was gasping for air and his cigarette fell out to the floor. It's like eight in the morning- "What are you doing here..?"

"Sorry, doctor..." Joshua lowered his head and gave a cute puppy face. "I don't have school today.. so I'm gonna be here the whole day!" Those words echoed in Gabriel's ears.

Tomoe sighed. "My apologies...do you still wish for me to not teach Joshua any longer?"

"Yeah..." Gabriel began losing his balance. "Nothing sharp...or sudden..." The plastic coffee cup and papers were dropped before he himself collapsed to the floor.

"He has fainted..." Hanzou reported. He had came all this way to warn Lady Tomoe...it ended in failure.

Joshua was next to the laying doctor; he pointed at Gabriel and said, "See? I gotta make sure this doesn't happen again...he's easily scared..."

"Hm..." This Tomoe had to agree to. "You're right...We must proceed with your training- Hanzou, see to it that Dr. Cunningham is taken to his office immediately and that these papers are passed out correctly."

"Of course." Hanzou vanished with the packet of papers in Tomoe's hands; so did Gabriel and his stuff.

"Joshua...follow me."

"Yeah!"


Extras are posted at random times... sorry if people get impatient...

Yes- I'll be posting the extras for Retribution here...

Was this even funny..?